Extended Weekend Getaways 
By Kathleen Walls
Freelance Travel Writer
Sawgrass Recreation Park
At Sawgrass Recreation Park, Captain Jack took us on an airboat tour. He was knowledgeable, informative and explained, “The shallow water allows the sunlight to reach the bottom, which allows the plants to grow through the water, creating this rather unique spectacle you are contemplating right now, a river of grass.”
Our airboat zoomed across the sawgrass and within minutes, Captain Jack pointed out an osprey sitting atop a tree. Nearby there was an anhinga perched on the branch of another tree. The anhinga opened its wings, and our captain explained, “Ospreys don’t like to get wet. So, when they grab the fish from the water, they quickly fly back into the air. They do a wiggling movement to remove the excess water. But the anhingas, they cannot afford to do that because they have to go into the water. They have a problem. They have light bones. Light bones are great for flying but terrible for diving. So, they have a solution. They have spongy feathers that absorb water, giving them additional weight they need to fish underwater. But that comes with a price. When they come out of the water, the anhingas are not able to fly because they are all soaked in water. They have to wait until those spongy feathers dry, and that is an opportunity for predators.”
The main predators here are the alligators, but we didn’t spot many of them. We spotted many more wild birds. There was a stately blue heron, a red shoulder hawk, and others.
I returned and took a night tour. This time our captain was Ron. It was a whole different scenario on the water. This time the river of grass was quieter. We spotted a lone alligator, its head above the water, paddling to shore. Seeing the gorgeous sunset was worth the trip.
There is more to Sawgrass Recreation Park than the airboats. We had lunch on the covered pavilion behind the store and welcome center. The Gator Grill is housed in a small RV and offers simple food, including Gator Bites. You can book a spot and do primitive tent camping and rent a boat to explore that river of grass.
One of the best things about the park is that the Soverns family, who acquired the park in 2005, has expanded it from what began in the 1950s as a fishing camp than morphed into a one boat operation, into one of South Florida’s top destinations. They did this while paying attention to the eco-system. Their Sawgrass Reptile Exhibit and other exhibits rescue wild and domestic reptiles and mammals that would otherwise die in the wild. I was thrilled to pet a young alligator.
The Anne Kolb Nature Center at West Lake Park
The Anne Kolb Nature Center along the Intracoastal Waterway is one of the largest urban parks in Florida, a sprawling 1,500‑acre preserve where mangrove forests, tidal channels, and wildlife-rich wetlands sit on the edge of metropolitan Broward County.
Inside the main building, the exhibit hall is an immersive introduction to these ecosystems. Its simulated mangrove habitat lets you walk through the tangled roots and brackish world that defines so much of coastal Florida. A 3,500‑gallon aquarium, filled with snook, tarpon, rays, and smaller creatures that keep the ecosystem thriving, lets you view the underwater life of the estuary up close.
The hands-on EcoRoom is fun for all ages, with interactive displays explaining how tides work, why mangroves are essential, and how the region’s wildlife adapts to constant environmental change. The video shown at the front of the hall is especially helpful for understanding the complexity of Florida’s ecosystems.
I didn’t have time to explore all 1,500 acres, but I walked the boardwalk and rode the elevator to the top of the four-story observation tower. From there, the view stretches all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, with the mangrove canopy rippling like a green sea below. The boardwalk out to the waterway offers continuous views of those twisted, salt-tolerant mangroves that are essential to Florida’s environment. At the end of the boardwalk, a covered pier with a mounted telescope invites you to linger and scan for wading birds, manatees, and other wildlife moving through the water. I spotted one unusual wild creature on the boardwalk: a curly-tailed lizard, an invasive species introduced to Florida in the 1940s to control agricultural pests that is now found throughout much of South and Central Florida.
Beyond the exhibit hall and tower, the nature center’s grounds include an outdoor amphitheater, an Intracoastal fishing pier, and miles of nature, biking, and paddling trails. Boats and kayaks are available for rent at the marina next door, making it easy to explore the waterways at your own pace.
The center is named for the late County Commissioner Anne Kolb, a dedicated environmentalist and former award-winning journalist who, in 1974, became the first woman elected to the Broward County Commission. Admission is free on weekdays.
Flamingo Gardens
Later, I visited an even more vibrant wildlife community: Flamingo Gardens. Its citrus‑growing past is preserved in the Ray House, built more than a century ago when the founders first settled here to grow citrus.
The 60‑acre property is far more than a garden. It’s the largest collection of Everglades wildlife and a sanctuary for permanently injured and non‑releasable animals, including black bear, bobcats, otters, hawks, flamingos, and an astonishing variety of birds. Even iguanas roam freely. I crossed paths with peacocks, egrets, ducks, geese, and one bold little scrub jay who perched on a fence, posed for a close‑up, and then brushed my hair with his claws as he took off.
I started with the tram tour for an overview. Our guide, Enrique, pointed out plants, birds, and wildlife as we rolled past them. We stopped at the butterfly house, where those flying jewels drifted among blooms I couldn’t begin to name, along with the Cactus Garden, Cycad Garden, and a grove of mango trees.
At the Wildlife Encounter, I met Sugarcane the barn owl, Roni the tailless alligator, and Pepper the eastern striped skunk, that are just a few of the rescues who now live comfortably throughout the sanctuary.
